The influence of the teachers' backgrounds on their perceptions of musical creativity: A qualitative study with secondary school music teachers

“The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Research Studies in Music Education, Vol. 28 (1), pp. 71-81., 2007, on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/"This paper examines the relationship between six secondary school teachers’ backgrounds and their perceptions of musical creativity. A unit of work involving composition and improvisation activities with pupils aged 11-14 was videotaped for each teacher. Participants were invited to comment on the videotapes during interviews, which were subsequently analysed using content analysis with the assistance of the computer programme NVivo. Teachers were also asked to reflect on specific instances that had shaped the direction of their musical outlook by completing a Musical Career Path questionnaire. It was observed that their experiences fell into three strands, namely musical, teacher-education, and professional teaching. The influence of these strands on the teachers’ thinking is discussed in four sections that refer to a four-fold framework outlined from the literature review: their perceptions of (a) creative pupils, (b) an environment that fosters creativity, (c) the creative process, and (d) creative musical products. Data analyses indicate that the most influential strand is ‘musical’. Participants with composing experience and practical knowledge of different music styles were more articulate at describing the environment for creativity and how this might be assessed in pupils’ work. Educational implications based on these findings are considered in the conclusion.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

A generative model of teachers' thinking on musical creativity

Original article can be found at : http://pom.sagepub.com/ Copyright Society for Education, Music and Psychology ResearchThis paper draws on and extends a four-year investigation of creativity in music education with particular reference to the perceptions of six secondary school teachers (Odena, Plummeridge and Welch, 2005; Odena and Welch, 2007). A comprehensive review of recent literature in musical creativity is provided, which complements and reinforces the theoretical framework of the original study. A qualitative approach was used for data gathering, including a video elicitation interview technique and Musical Career Path questionnaires. Transcripts were subsequently categorised using NVivo. Taking into account other recent studies, previously unpublished data is examined and a generative model of how the teachers’ thinking about creativity might develop over time is suggested: the teachers’ past in- and out-of-school experiences and their daily classroom teaching shape their perceptions of musical creativity; this occurs as a continuing interaction that has the potential to modify the teachers’ perceptions over time. Educational implications are considered in the conclusion.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio